Case File

A Brooklyn family business "saves" an Iowa town. A slaughterhouse opens in Postville employing hundreds of workers. Agriprocessors becomes the largest kosher slaughterhouse in the country. But there are complaints about the mistreatment of workers and the hiring of illegal immigrants.

The Businessman

Sholom Rubashkin runs his family's business. It's a niche market. Sholom is willing to do whatever it takes to keep costs down. He discourages unions and labor organizers. The plant brings in more than $300 million in annual sales.

The Controversy

Rumors persist. There are allegations of animal abuse and worker exploitation. The pace is relentless and injuries are common. Sholom pays immigrant workers in cash, off the books. He also oversees a complex accounting scheme allowing him to borrow money.

The Raid

Sirens shatter the morning stillness as federal agents swarm into Postville. Hundreds of illegal immigrants are taken away in chains. Nearly 20 percent of the town's population disappears and Agriprocessors spirals into bankruptcy. And, that's just the beginning...

Sholom Rubashkin ran Agriprocessors, a controversial slaughterhouse in a small Iowa town. Rubashkin was sentenced in connection with a $26 million dollar bank fraud. Defense lawyers explain why his sentence was unique.

When Sholom Rubashkin was sentenced in June, 2010, to 27 years in prison for financial fraud, it was two years more than prosecutors sought. It also was unusually high when compared to recent financial crimes — longer than the term for Jeffrey Skilling, the former chief executive of Enron, or of Dennis Kozlowski, the former chief executive of Tyco.